A sealing bellows of this type is known from DE 10 2006 039 861 A1 and is used, for example, in motor vehicles to seal a ball joint. The sealing bellows prevents grime and moisture from penetrating inside the ball joint to ensure a low maintenance intensity and a long service life of the ball joint. The sealing bellows is composed of a flexible rubber material, the clamping elements for fixing the bellows onto a respective machine element being integrated into the sealing region and into the attachment region. The sealing region is mounted by its clamping element on the ball pivot and it rests against the lever holder of the ball joint, whereas the attachment region is fixed on the housing of the ball joint by its clamping element. In this respect, the ball pivot, the lever holder and the ball of the ball joint are mounted such that they can pivot and rotate relative to the housing of the ball joint.
The casing of the sealing bellows can be subjected to tension, compression or flexion.
The previously known sealing bellows is produced in a forming process, for example in the injection moulding process. The casing is configured to be substantially cylindrical as a condition of production in order to be demoulded from the injection moulding machine in a true condition. The production-conditioned substantially cylindrical casing is only bulged radially outwards when the sealing bellows is assembled on the ball joint and, as a result, the casing generates high axial forces. The axial forces increase the contact force of the end face of the sealing region of the sealing bellows against the lever holder to an undesirable extent, the increased contact pressure resulting in an increased wear primarily on the sealing region.